Surgical wound-dam



W. H. TAYLOR.

SURGICAL woumn DAM. I APPLICATION HLED JULY8,1920- mmsm; Patanted May 31,1921.

WALTER HERBERT TAYLOR, OF GUELPH, ONTARIO, CANADA.

SURGICAL WOUND-DAM.

Application filed July 8, 1920.

To aZZ 20 7mm it may concern Be it known that I, lVAL'rnn HERBERT TAYLOR, of the city of Guelph, in the county of V'Vellington, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful I1nprovements in Surgical Wound-Dams, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wound dams of the same general type as that disclosed in my co-pending application No. 3079.4:8 filed June 27th, 1919, and my object is to devise a wound dam in which the pressure of the fluid used in the dam is. utilized to a greater extent than in the dam disclosed in the application aforesaid to maintain fluid-tight contact between the device and the skin of the patient, thus reducing the pressure re quired to be applied by bandages.

I attain my object by means of the con structions hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in whicha Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved wound dam with the parts in'normal position;

Fig. 2 a similar view showingthe parts substantially as they would appear when applied to a wound by means of suitable bandages; v

Fig. 8 a plan View of the stretching device; and

Fig. 4 a plan View of a modification of the stretching device.

In the drawings like numerals of reference indicate corresponding arts in the different figures.

1 is a thin annular rubber floor, with which is connected the flexible rubber cap 2. This cap is preferably provided at its top with a stiff plate 3 of any suitable material, with which are connected the inlet pipe 4; and the outlet pipe 5. The side walls 6 of the cap may be of somewhat stouter material than the floor, and may taper in thickness from the top toward the bottom to giVe it the greatest pliability where pliability is needed, that is, adjacent the surface of the skin, while farther from the skin greater stiffness facilitates the application of the bandage.

With the rubber floor a rubber stretching device cooperates. This device comprises an annular member 7, the lower edge of which, when the upper part is pressed toward the rubber floor, tends to expand ra- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Inlay 31, 1921.

Serial No. 39 ,830.

dially from the center and thus exert an outward stretching action on the floor by frictional contact therewith.

It is also preferable to arrange the stretching device so that an inward stretching pressure is also applied to the rubber floor. In the preferred construction the annular member 7 has an outwardly flaring annular flange 8 formed thereon at its lower edge and also an inwardly flaring annular flange 9, which flanges preferably taper from their points of connection with the annular memher 7 to their lower edges. It is not essential, however, that these flanges be continuous as they may be divided as shown in Fig. 4, these divisions practically forming the flanges into a series of fingers.

I have found that the best results are obtained in applying the pressure of the bandages to the stretching member if the annular member 7 be provided with a series of upwardly projecting fingers 10. lVhile these fingers transmit pressure as desired, they do not interfere with the equalizing of fluid pressure between the space inside the stretching member and the space be tween the cap and the outside of the stretching member. It is desirable that the stretching member be made as effective as possible in transmitting pressure normal to the rubber floor 1, while it should possess considable flexibility in directions which will enable it to conform to the curved surfaces to which it is to be applied. I therefore provide the annular member 7 with a series of narrow separated wings 11 adjacent the upper edge of the ring. Under some circumstances it is desirable to roughly conform the stretching member to the contour of the part to which the device is to be applied. For this purpose I provide a-ring 12 of readily bendable and nonresilient material, which is fitted into an annular flange formed around the inner side of the upper part of the annular member 7. This ring may be readily bent to any desired shape and will roughly conform the stretching device to the same shape.

I have found that it is better to form the rubber floor 1 with a thickened inner edge 13. This prevents the possibility of the flange 9 slipping over the inner edge of floor. Better sealing pressure of the floor against the surface of the skin is obtained by forming a circular flexible ridge it on the under side of the floor intermediate its points of engagement with the stretching member. The elasticity of the floor holds this ridge very firmly in contact with the skin. It will be seen that not only does the stretching device itself tend to hold the rubber floor in fluid-tight contact with the skin, but

that as fluid readily finds its way to the.

floor outwardly.

3. In a wound dam, the combination of a thin. annular rubber floor; and a rubber stretching device provided with concentric annularly disposed stretching members respectively inwardly and outwardly inclined and engaging the upper surface of the floor.

4. A wound dam constructed aS set forth in claim 2 provided with a circular flexible ridge on the under side of the floor intermediate of its margins.

5. A wound dam constructed as set forth in' claim 3 provided with a circular flexible ridge on the under side of the floor intermediate of its points of engagement with the stretching members.

6. A wound dam constructed as set forth in claim 2 provided with a thickened inner edge for the floor.

7. A wound dam constructed as set forth in claim Q-provided with a flexible rubber cap forming a water tight inclosure about the stretching device.

8. A wound dam constructed as set forth in claim 2 provided with a flexible rubber cap continuous with the flexible floor and forming. a water tight inclosure about the stretching device.

9. In a wound dam, the combination of a thin annular rubber floor and a rubber stretching device comprising a ring, bandage pressure receiving projections at the upper part of the ring, and concentric annularly disposed stretching members at the lower part of the ring respectively inwardly and outwardly inclined and engaging the upper surface of the floor.

10. A'wound dam constructed as set forth in claim 9 provided with a flexible rubber cap forming a water tight inclosure about the stretching device. I

11. A Wound dam constructed as set forth in claim 9 provided with a flexible rubber cap continuous with the flexible floor and forming a water tight inclosure about the stretchin device.

igned at Guelph, Ont, this 1st day of July, 1920.

WALTER HERBERT TAYLOR. 

